ENOCH — Enoch City officials on Friday released additional details about the Jan. 4 murder-suicide incident that left eight members of a family dead, including five children.
As previously reported, investigators determined that Michael Haight shot and killed his wife Tausha and their five children, Macie, 17, Briley, 12, Ammon, 7, Sienna, 7, and Gavin, 4, in addition to Tausha’s mother Gail Earl, before turning the gun on himself.
The shocking incident and the devastating impact it had on the community made headlines across the nation.
The newly released information, which was sent via email to various news outlets, includes a 57-page investigative report and links to four video clips.
Portions of the released media have been redacted to exclude graphic images, protected information and other sensitive content.
“The tragic incident on January 4, 2023, in Enoch City, Utah has been felt throughout the community, the State of Utah, and the world,” states an accompanying one-page news release from Enoch City dated April 7.
“The investigation has been completed and the information requested by professional media outlets is hereby released,” the statement adds.
The report reveals a number of details that have not previously been made public, including the deceased family members were found in various different rooms throughout the house and that all eight died from gunshot wounds to the head.
According to the report, Michael Haight’s body was found in a small exercise room in the basement with a .40 caliber pistol on the floor. Next to the body was a handwritten note that read in part: “I would rather rot in hell than to put up with one more day of their manipulation and control over me.”
The four released video clips appear to be taken from the body cameras of responding officers, who are seen approaching the home, knocking and then entering. They then conduct a warranted search of the premises, moving from room to room with guns drawn clearing each room.
Enoch City’s news release states that the released details in the report “are the results of the dedicated and passionate investigators who worked diligently over the past three months to discover the events leading up to the tragedy.”
The news release also contains a cautionary note:
Because the course of events in the materials cannot fully describe the complexity of the personal thoughts and emotions of those directly involved, we invite the media and general public to refrain from trying to fill in the spaces with their own conceptions.
City officials also expressed their appreciation for “the respect of the professional media, the thoughts and prayers of caring people across the world, and the offers for help.”
“Every positive action produces a ripple of good will towards our shared belief in the greatness of humanity,” the news release stated. “Enoch City officials invite everyone to do what good they can wherever they live and contribute to legitimate entities.”
Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson also referred to the ongoing efforts to help individuals with mental health counseling and other resources. For more information regarding the Enoch Community Trauma Recovery group, click here.
“We join with all who are deeply saddened by this tragic incident and express our continued condolences to the family and friends of the victims,” the news release concludes.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.